In this week's OK PolicyCast, we talk about a new event series aimed at growing citizen involvement across Oklahoma. We also discuss controversy over militarized police in Oklahoma, and a private firm that has been training police officers to seize cash from drivers at highway stops, even though they have not been charged with a crime.

We also talk about a push to increase the tipped minimum wage for Oklahoma service workers, a new study on wage theft, and how rising court fees are feeding Oklahoma's incarceration crisis, as well as what the City of Tulsa is doing to prepare for climate change and attract millenials.

Each week we bring you the most important news affecting Oklahoma, and what it means. This week, we discuss a couple of lawsuits before the Oklahoma Supreme Court that could dramatically change tax politics in the state. We also talk about controversies over tax incentives for private businesses, a new campaign by the mayors of OKC and Tulsa to reduce their cities' dependency on sales tax, a state lawmaker's comments that has Oklahoma Muslims upset, key numbers of the week, & more.

We're back from vacation, rested and ready to share the most important Oklahoma news and analysis. This week, we discuss a recent book by journalist Amanda Ripley, "The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way." The book looks at what countries with the highest performing education systems are doing right, and Oklahoma plays a prominent role in the story. We also talk about the loss of Oklahoma's No Child Left Behind waiver, new details on the investigation of a botched execution, numbers of the week, and more...

A special episode featuring highlights from the 2014 Summer Policy Institute. Guests include Oklahoma Education Association Associate Director Amanda Ewing on challenges facing Oklahoma's education system; State Treasurer Ken Miller on the state's budget troubles; Catholic Charities' Richard Klinge on the immigrant children at Fort Sill; and Cherokee Chief Bill John Baker on the story of the Cherokee Nation since the Trail of Tears.

In the first episode of the new weekly In The Know podcast, we share some of the most important Oklahoma headlines from this week, bust some myths surrounding the migrant children at Fort Sill, and discuss one of the biggest business subsidies in Oklahoma.

Fallin’s office says Barresi not being considered for secretary of education; Oklahoma officials say state needs more mental health funding; Bureau of Narcotics objects to initiative to legalize marijuana but prepares for passage; & more...